However, Islamabad asked New Delhi to route its aid through United Nations. Basit said Pakistan would not cite any reason for reluctance to accept the Indian aid directly. "We have appreciated the offer, but it's not appropriate to publicly discuss the reasons for our decision to accept it through the UN," he added.
Basit said Pakistan was earlier reluctant to accept the Indian offer. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani on Aug. 19 to reiterate the offer.
Basit said: "Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed to the media in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's special session on Aug. 20 that Pakistan had decided to accept the offer. However, the two countries could not agree on the modalities of transporting the relief goods."
